New to IBS and looking for suggestions to calm down my newly irritated gut

[JoeShap]

Hi

A few months ago I decided to SLOWLY taper off effexor which I'd been taking for 18 years. Over a month I kinda succeeded but my gut got very unhappy and stayed that way. Lots of frequent lose stool, gel "leaking" out. I asked a friend who's an internist and he said sounds like you've got IBS. It didn't surprise him as I'm a fairly anxious person. He suggested trying fiber.

After a month or so of this plus my anxiety/depression coming back I went back on the effexor. Things have gotten somewhat better - stool no longer so loose - but the gel and gut pain remain. It's been almost 6 months now. I'm thinking I irritated my gut and am hoping there's some way to calm it down for a while so it can maybe return to "normal." Any tips? I've been traveling this whole time and won't be back in the USA - where I live - for another month. Unless I let this cut my travels short that is. I don't have great health insurance either so going to docs will likely cost thousands. Thanks for any help you can offer!

[spzgirl51]

Hello JoeShap ,

I am not a doctor, my son was taking a high dose of effexor for several years. He managed to come off it. He did it by tapering very slowly and try staying on a dose level longer if reducing became difficult. I think he managed his loose stools by taking a low dose of Imodium as needed? An over the counter diarrhoea remedy

But it was a slow process. Effexor one of those drugs which is known to be hard to come off. So the slower the better. Don't give up.